Seeking . . .

. . . a contact about licensing . . .

. . . the Baltimore Colts Fight Song. . .



(from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Klasmer)
". . . Benjamin Klasmer was a professional violinist and composer notable for his contributions to the musical culture of 20th century Baltimore, Maryland. Born in Horondenka, Austria in 1891, Klasmer moved to the United States in 1909 after receiving considerable classical training as a violinist from several notable composers. Settling first in New York City, where he played with the German Musical Comedy Theater, Klasmer moved to Richmond, VA, in 1913 to play in the Bijou Theater Orchestra there. During his years in Richmond, he was the first conductor of the Young Men's Hebrew Association Orchestra. In 1916 he moved to Baltimore where he spent the remainder of his career. Once established in Baltimore, Klasmer assisted the conductor, Gustav Strube in founding the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, where he played in the violin section for many years. He also began performing and conducting for several local pit orchestras, most notably as the conductor of the pit orchestra at the Hippodrome Theatre, Baltimore. The orchestras he conducted at various Baltimore theaters, including the New Theater, the Garden Theater, the Rivoli, and the Hippodrome, furnished musical accompaniment to silent movies and to vaudeville acts. It was with the revival of vaudeville at the Hippodrome Theater on August 28, 1931, that Klasmer began his tenure there, which lasted until he died of a heart attack at the theater in 1949. One of Klasmer's proudest legacies, however, was as the conductor of the youth orchestra at Baltimore's Jewish Educational Alliance (J.E.A.), which he founded with Emile Clarke in 1919. After a few years under Klasmer's tutelage, the twenty-seven member youth orchestra had grown into the J.E.A. Symphony Orchestra with eighty musicians, and was regarded as the finest amateur orchestra on the East Coast of the United States. The Baltimore Sun frequently praised the orchestra for both development and quality of performance, and the Beethoven-laden seasons of new music appeared frequently in the newspaper. Throughout the Great Depression Klasmer found work as a musician and conductor, but after, as orchestras began to disappear from movie houses and vaudeville declined as a popular form of entertainment, Klasmer continued to perform at the Hippodrome as part of a two person comedy/music act and to write music for local ventures. Klasmer composed a variety of music, largely for the violin, as well as a number of popular songs. His most famous work was the official theme song of the Baltimore Colts football team, which he co-wrote with Jo Lombardi in 1947. . ."


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Upcoming OHO DATES:
Saturday, September 12th, 2015
OHO LIVE AT JOHNNY'S
OHO Live at Johnny's - 9:00PM
5601 Coastal Hwy Bayside
Ocean City, MD 21842
United States
4105247499
Price: no cover
BOURBON STREET ON THE BEACH
Jay Graboski (Sundays) -this week a performance of the OHO Duo (w/Ray Jozwiak) - 7:00PM
Coastal Highway & 116th Street
Ocean City, MD 21842
443-664-2896
Price: na
Sunday 4-7:00PM

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html  or at
http://www.ohomusic.com 


OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak.  Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com 


My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music is now available at - Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak

(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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There was. . .

. . . an interesting post on Facebook by a wonderfully gifted musician to the effect that some people say jazz should update itself and that the classic jazz is old and tired. The only problem is that such people are in effect, telling a substantial percentage of the jazz audience to go to hell. . .

Which sparked quite a rash of comments; rightly and understandably. Most of the responders seemed to agree that new and innovative are good, but old, classic is good also. I've often reflected on such sentiments after hearing an either particularly articulate opponent (or proponent) or just a particularly boisterous opponent (or proponent) of one form or genre of music or another.

Some of the comments, exceprted or paraphrased:

They say if it sounds good, it is good. Music knows no genre, culture, or era.

I dont play jazz, I play music.

Some people only want to hear memories, not music.

Just do what you do and be happy.

Jazz is a timeless art form.

If no one kept an open mind to new things, we wouldn't even have Dixieland, Swing, Bebop or Post-Bop, would we?

Just play what you love . . .

Everyone has an opinion

If you try to please everyone you get stagnation.

Ornette says, ". . . I would like for you guys to follow the idea."



download your
very own copy of
ANOTHER SHOT
by Ray Jozwiak

Please Visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com


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That polarizing musical instrument. . .

. . . the accordion.

I did become exposed to a gamut of music during my accordion education playing Polish folk music (but of course), American folk and pop music, tin pan alley standards, classical, English drinking songs and even rock and roll- envision that on the accordion. When you began accordion lessons at the Maryland Accordion Institute, you were issued a twelve bass piano accordion. What that is, is a small accordion with a 25-key piano keyboard on the right (from the performer's perspective) and twelve buttons on the left. The piano accordion is designed to be a complete musical ensemble. The right hand plays melody while the left plays bass notes and complete major chords on the first and second row of buttons respectively. Of course the bellows are between the two halves

After completing the basic course, I don't recall if that was measured in weeks or an instruction book, you were encouraged to purchase a full-size accordion which was casually called a "hundred and twenty bass" accordion, appropriately named for the one hundred and twenty buttons on the left side. The buttons are arranged in diagonal rows consisting of, in order from left to right, a 'counter bass' note (the third of the root bass note which is next to the right, major chord, minor chord, seventh chord and last, diminished chord. The keyboard on the right being larger, of course, has 41 keys.

So you see it is a complex instrument, mastery of which equips one very well with a fair amount of music theory knowledge. And you can see how the 120 bass instrument provides the player much more versatility and range in what can be played.





Download your
very own copy of
ANOTHER SHOT
by Ray Jozwiak

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